Chapter Nine: Materials for Magical Experimentation

“Beautiful lady, you can just call me Johan.”

Johan’s gaze was fixed intently on Lady Ordos. She exuded a mature allure that stirred the young mage’s vigorous spirit into a passionate surge. Under the influence of his hormones, a boy his age, upon seeing any hint of a feminine silhouette, would naturally find his thoughts wandering.

Or rather, for over a decade, he had only ever seen one—Yemengjade—and since she left two years ago, he had only encountered depictions of women in books. He was truly famished; anything would suffice.

“Mr. Johan,” Lady Ordos smiled gently. The young mage was bold and straightforward, his beautiful deep blue eyes quickening the heartbeat. He was surely from a great city, his skin delicate and fair.

Unlike the people of Redhazel Town, whose faces were either reddened and cracked by cold or stained by mineral-rich earth, even the privileged masters here lacked such pristine complexion. Their skin was more like pigskin scalded by hot water.

“Uncle Lind asked me to meet you. He said you are someone sent by Maheit.”

Lady Ordos felt a fondness for the young mage and spoke without beating around the bush.

“I hope you can convey to Maheit that I am willing to maintain our enduring friendship, but nothing more.”

Actually, butler Lind had said “perhaps,” yet Lady Ordos knew well that in a place like Redhazel Town, what mage would bother to visit? From journals, she understood that after becoming a mage, one could at least find a well-paying job in the city.

Who would travel all this way just for sightseeing in such a backwater?

The mages of today bore little resemblance to those from two centuries ago.

Only Maheit would send someone for such a purpose.

“Why?” Johan was curious. He didn’t know who Maheit was but sensed a juicy story.

“Maheit already has a marriage and family. He shouldn’t be clinging to me,” Lady Ordos said indifferently.

Suddenly, she recalled a line from the serialized novel “Noble Code,” where a steward, while seducing a noble lady, remarked: “A man’s greatest hobby is to persuade a prostitute to keep her virtue like a noblewoman, and to make a graceful and dignified noblewoman flatter like a prostitute.”

The more elegant, pure, and faithful a woman was in marriage, the more she stirred a man’s possessiveness and desire to conquer.

She continued, “Maybe it’s not appropriate to say this to you, but in my eyes, the master and Maheit are no different.”

Then she moved to a nearby chair and sat down. Due to her posture, her skirt lifted slightly, revealing a smooth, supple calf. The exposed instep in high heels was even more stirring to Johan’s heart than the earlier display of Celiyade’s bare form.

Lady Ordos’s eyes, already tinged with sorrow, grew even more distant.

“They all treat me as a mere collectible, no different from a vase. Maheit wants to fulfill a childhood wish he never attained; by possessing me, he proves he has changed.”

“Madam, you are truly a wise woman, seeing men through,” Johan complimented.

In his rigid view, in such a situation, Lady Ordos should have been like a moth to a flame—abandoning her marriage and family to elope with Maheit.

Yet he did not think there was anything wrong with being a vase; many men need a vessel, and a vase is a fitting and dedicated one.

Lady Ordos smiled. His praise lifted her spirits, especially since he seemed captivated by her feet, boldly and directly admiring them with a passionate gaze that was not lecherous.

She shyly lowered her head and adjusted her skirt, like a young girl embarrassed by an unintentional reveal, hastily tucking her calf and instep beneath the fabric.

“Thank you for your compliment. For a woman my age, a peaceful life is the greatest happiness.” Lady Ordos felt comfortable talking with Johan.

Though he mostly listened, for a woman, what she needs most is a listener, not advice on life.

But in Redhazel Town, no one knew how to listen quietly. Even in silence, they might be thinking, “What is this lady still unsatisfied about? Such a greedy and ungrateful woman.”

Their daily chatter revolved around trivial matters, unable to engage in deep, thoughtful discussions on life, marriage, or love—themes that touched the soul.

“Really?” Johan met Lady Ordos’s eyes.

He might not understand Yemengjade, but among ten thousand women, perhaps not even one was like her. As for others, he knew a little, having experienced feminine strength himself.

Lady Ordos’s heart trembled slightly. His deep blue eyes seemed to see through her, piercing her heart and revealing the ripples beneath her calm surface.

“Celiyade’s condition probably won’t improve overnight, right? Would you mind staying at the Ordos estate for a while? It would be easier to handle any emergencies,” Lady Ordos awkwardly changed the subject.

She had hoped to apply the ambiguous and flirtatious scenes from the serialized novel between a noble lady and a steward, but her racing heart made it impossible to act with ease.

“All right,” Johan agreed. He carried his essential items with him and did not insist on camping out in the wild mountains and snowfields.

“I also need some supplies for magical experiments.”

He glanced at Lady Ordos, sensing her subtle desire for him. Yet as a doctor, Johan had certain fastidious habits.

“What do you need? I will do my best to provide,” Lady Ordos leaned forward earnestly.

Johan sat at the desk and picked up a pen.

It was an ink pen!

Back on Yemengjade Island, he had only used quills and charcoal pencils. How could such a refined ink pen exist in this small town? The pen was engraved with a name, hinting at a storied history.

He glanced at it but did not dwell, beginning to sketch on the paper.

Lady Ordos rose and approached, watching his delicate strokes as if they were as smooth as his hair.

His clean collar, meticulous mage attire, fair and tender skin, and pleasant scent made her involuntarily lean closer. Their breaths mingled slightly, and her heartbeat never slowed. She held her breath, focusing on his drawing.

At the same time, she couldn’t help recalling many scenes from the serialized novel, where women and men shared many flirtatious and tender moments in artistic settings.

“It’s done.”

Johan had drawn a deep-sea cold-water abalone.

This creature, once called “fish-fu,” was highly nutritious, known to strengthen muscles, promote wound healing, improve memory, stabilize emotions, and support normal metabolism—perfect for daily nourishment of men, women, and magical beasts alike.

Johan’s first human settlement after leaving Yemengjade Island and entering the Roland Continent was Redhazel Town, proving it was close to the sea. Hence, seafood like this was plausible.

He chose to draw it because many names on Roland Continent differed from those he knew.

“Do you have this?” Johan tilted his head, asking Lady Ordos. It had been long since anyone accompanied him in drawing and writing, and the feeling was pleasant—especially with Lady Ordos’s subtle mature charm radiating from her expression and demeanor, evoking a romantic ambiance.

Lady Ordos’s cheeks flushed like rosy clouds. A hint of coquettishness flashed through her watery eyes. Her high heels faltered as she stepped back two paces, steadied herself, then raised a hand to cover her chest. Unsure of his intent, she murmured, “Every woman in Redhazel Town... has it.”

What?

Where is your mind wandering?

Is your imagination running a bit wild?

Besides, you were bent over close to him without covering yourself just now, and now that you’re upright, you suddenly make this gesture?

“No, you misunderstood,” Johan hurried to clarify.

Lady Ordos was skeptical—how could this be a misunderstanding? Didn’t she just see what he drew?

She inwardly chided herself. In the serialized novel, under such circumstances, the man and woman would engage in suggestive, flirtatious dialogue. Her reaction was anything but that.

Ah, she hadn’t played her part well. She knew those scenes by heart but couldn’t bring them to life here.

Johan resumed drawing, outlining the seafood with a black border and sketching its shell.

“Here?”

“It’s never this black!” Lady Ordos bit her lip, finally unable to resist, and gave his shoulder a playful shove.